The invention relates to a lifting apparatus for handicapped persons, useful for insertion in a bathtub, comprising a bottom plate, a guide device consisting of two frames joined together in a scissors-like, articulated manner, a lift platform guided by said guide device, and a lifting device for raising and lowering the lift platform, the two frames each having two parallel longitudinal shanks and at least one transverse shank, and each frame having two coaxial non-sliding articulations on one of the plates and two coaxial sliding articulations, guided in C-profile sections for example, on the other plate.